Curated OER
Why Should I Waste My Time Separating Garbage?
Students discuss the differences in the types of garbage. They use these differences to separate a sample of garbage. Partners then investigate the characteristics of landfills by searching on the Internet and by creating your own...
Curated OER
To Rot or Not!
Students discover that composting helps reduce landfill waste and is good for the soil. They explore the techniques of composting through a variety of media, art activities and hands-on experience.
Curated OER
Recycling-Taking it Easy on the Environment
Pupils review the garbage/landfill graphs included with the lesson plan. They discuss the information on the graphs and discuss which garbage products come from their homes. Students collect examples of over packaging to share with class...
Curated OER
Compost Lesson
If you are looking for how to introduce elementary environmentalists to the process of composting, here is a comprehensive outline for making it happen. The plan is to set this up at the beginning of a school year in order to observe the...
Curated OER
Worms, Nature's Recyclers!
Students study what worms need to survive in different environments. They study how worm composting improves soil and reduce waste. They discuss composting techniques and present a puppet show about a worm's life.
Curated OER
Repair, Reuse, Recycle
Students read "Joseph had a Little Overcoat" and explain why his clothing didn't go to waste. In this repairing, reusing, recycling activity, students recognize by reusing objects they help the environment. Students write their ideas for...
Curated OER
How Good Is Green?
Students explore the amount of electricity used and wasted in homes and at school using kilowatt meters. In this environmental energy lesson, students compute power usage by appliances over time and identify ways in which electricity is...
Curated OER
Carbon Dioxide
Students conduct a series of experiments to explore carbon dioxide properties. In this chemistry lesson, students explain the production and uses of this gas. They measure its amount in soda and waste product of yeast.
Curated OER
Wild, Wild Wetland Wildlife
Students investigate biology by participating in a science experiment. In this dissection lesson, students conduct a nature field trip around their school grounds and identify animals, plants, tracks and waste. Students dissect an owl...
Curated OER
Ecosystems
Seventh graders create a closed ecosystem and place it where is it visible to others in the school. They label it with posters describing the interdependence of living things in the ecosystem. They discuss what might happen to the...
Curated OER
Environmental Health Hazards and Children
Students are introduced to the environmental hazards their community is facing. In groups, they develop a list of the ways humans have changed the Earth and how these changes have lead to environmental hazards. They record their...
Curated OER
Fancy Packaging
Youngsters consider the amount of packaging used in manufacturing food and follow its travels through to the landfill. They brainstorm ways in which to reduce packaging and take a survey at home to evaluate ways they could reduce trash.
Curated OER
Texas Recycles Day: A Sample School-Wide Environmental Event
Young scholars participate in a recycles day. They research how recycling benefits the environment. They also compete in a paper products recycling contest.
United Nations
Compost Monitor Training
What should go in the trash, and what can be composted? Guide your young conservationists through the process of composing their trash with a lesson about the different ways we can dispose of garbage. Using a trash bag with clean...
Curated OER
Turning Assets into Action in the Fight Against Hunger
How can one person change the world? Scholars research and analyze the topic of world hunger. Using video clips, parodies, and primary source evidence, they uncover a current campaign to end world hunger. Collaborative groups openly...
Nuffield Foundation
Microbes Ate My Homework
Now you have a new excuse not to do your homework. A long-term experiment has learners explore cellulose-digesting enzymes. They simulate how paper breaks down in a compost bin. There's no need to blame your dog for eating your homework...
Nuffield Foundation
Investigating Transport Systems in a Flowering Plant
Some weddings have flowers in a unique, unnatural color to match the theme. Young scientists take part in this process to learn about the function of the xylem as they observe colored water moving through a flower. Then, they experiment...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Calculating Your Carbon Footprint
Unplugging from technology for one day per week will decrease your carbon footprint—are you up to the challenge? Part two in a series of three allows individuals to explore their personal carbon footprints. By first taking a quiz at home...
Curated OER
Recycling by Composting
Students examine the idea of recycling by composting. Using the internet, they research the benefits of composting to the environment. In groups, they collect numbers on how much food and yard waste is produced in their community. ...
Curated OER
Geometry: Practical Applications of the Distance Formula
Students, working independently and in groups, apply the distance formula to practical situations. After solving various problems, students in pairs design coordinate planes from the school blue print to measure the distance from the...
Curated OER
Earthworms and Making a Wormery
Students explore the environment by researching insects. In this earthworm lesson, students utilize soil and plexiglass to build a see through wormery in which students can observe the worms at work. Students identify the benefits of...
Curated OER
You Can Change the World
Students discuss ways they can help protect the environment. In groups, they examine various types of animals and identify their characteristics, food and habitats are compared. They create a Hyperstudio presentation in which they scan...
Curated OER
Cell Structures and Functions
Fifth graders search into animal and cell characteristics and their functions in this seven lesson unit. Replicas of the cell are constructed out of Jell-O as students probe the internet for details of the concepts.
Curated OER
Separation Before Plastic Recycling
Pupils participate in a demonstration to test the different densities of plastics, and suggest a method that plastic waste can be separated and collected.